


Unchained Vignettes

by dongyrn



Series: MCU: Unchained [9]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Little Drabbles of Fun, My Mind Is A Scary Place Sometimes, Shorties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-17 09:08:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 9,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9314861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dongyrn/pseuds/dongyrn
Summary: A series of shorts and fragments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, based around my story Unchained and subsequent sequels. Will include Avengers, X-Men, and likely quite a few more as they come to me.





	1. Opinions

**Author's Note:**

> **Standard Disclaimer:** All rights belong to those whose rights they belong to, primarily Marvel, though quite namely not me. Don't own a thing aside from my OCs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a series of short stories and fragments from the universe of _Unchained_. Obviously, they won't make much sense if you haven't read the story, so please go read that first. I'll be including stuff from all around the MCU and beyond, just like the stories of the MCU Unchained Series. This was inspired by the brilliant fanfic _MCU Shorties_ by **Evil Little Dog** over on FF.net. Seriously, read that if you haven't yet.

"So, you were there with your brother for how long?" Caitlin asked in a hushed whisper.

"Two days," Wanda replied just as quietly. "It was… a very long two days."

"Wow," the brunette girl murmured. "But still, that doesn't explain-"

"It was the bomb," Wanda interjected. "Staring at it, waiting for it to kill us… With the name of Stark on the side."

"Damn." Caitlin blinked as she struggled to contain a grin.

"What is that?" Wanda asked, perplexed.

"Oh, no, sorry, it's not… Look, what happened to you, that was so horrible, and I'm so sorry… I'm not…" She snickered slightly. "It's not that, it's…"

"Caitlin…"

"No, Wanda, don't you see?" she finally asked excitedly. "I finally found someone who despises Tony Stark even more than I do!"


	2. Questions

"I just don't get why you need to know," Sam complained.

Rebecca switched the phone to her other ear as she smiled slightly. "I would like to know. Is that not enough?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Sam."

He let out an irritated huff. "Look, this isn't exactly something I share with… with…"

"Yes?"

"Look, we haven't even… We've never discussed anything like this. I mean, we're still trying to figure each other out, right? How we feel, what we are, where we're going… All that stuff. Right? And you, just outta the blue, want to know this?"

"Exactly."

"Rebecca Brown, you can be a very strange girl. And I mean that in the most affectionate way possible."

"Thank you, Sam. But you are still avoiding the question."

"Okay, fine… No, alright? No, I'm not circumcised. Why the hell would you want to know that, anyways?"

"I was merely curious."

"Uh-huh. Just like you were curious a half hour ago about which actress I thought was sexiest?"

"Yes, Sam. Exactly."

"Alright, well… I gotta go and do something heroic, like save the world, that kinda stuff before you think up anything else…"

"Very well. I will talk to you tomorrow night?"

Sam Wilson gave an affectionate sigh. "Yeah, Becca. Talk to you then. Bye."

"Goodbye, Sam."

Her sister Caitlin chuckled softly as she hung up. They were sitting side by side on the bed that they shared while staying at the Xavier School. "Nice one. Don't think I've ever heard him so flustered."

"Indeed," Rebecca commented as she drew a line through a word on the list sitting between them. "I believe it is my turn, yes?"

"Yep, hit me."

"Very well…" Her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she tapped the pen against the pad of paper. "I choose this one."

"First sexual experience? Right. Full details, I suppose?"

"Those are the rules, yes."

Grinning, Caitlin picked the phone up next, dialed, and held it up to her ear. "Hey Lisa, you busy? No? Cool, so I got another question to ask…"


	3. Weakness pt 1

"Nothing you can say would sway me," Caitlin declared from her seat on the couch.

"I get that, but you're still wrong," Bobby replied cheekily, sitting on the floor in between Rogue's legs. The teenagers were gathered in the common area of Xavier's mansion after dinner, and somehow the conversation had taken a rather dramatic turn.

"Wrong?" she replied, her voice raising. " _Wrong_? How can I be wrong? You're talking about a thing that has become so diluted, so… so… _old_. Outdated."

"But wasn't _Firefly_ aired, like, fifteen years ago?" Kitty murmured to Blink.

"That doesn't matter!" Caitlin whirled to face her other friends. "It's still relevant! Still the greatest television show ever to air! And then _Serenity_? Wouldn't have happened without the fans who rallied and gave the mighty Joss Whedon their support!"

"'Mighty'?" Rogue snickered softly.

"Hush, she's on a roll," Blink grinned.

"And the cast on the show!" Caitlin exclaimed excitedly. "They meshed so well! Created a sense of.. of… of family! Yeah, a broken and dysfunctional one, but still, a family! They were so good, especially Summer Glau!"

"Yes, we are aware of your infatuation with Summer Glau," Rebecca murmured from next to her sister on the couch. She had a book open, quietly reading while still following the conversation.

"Yeah, that's cool and all," Bobby interjected. "But _Star Trek_? Way better. Fifty years of TV shows, which there were six of, by the way, twelve movies with another about to come out…"

"Exactly!" Caitlin proclaimed. "It's way more diluted! _Firefly_ had more story and character crammed into a single season that all of that!"

"Seriously?" Bobby scoffed. "Do you even hear yourself, fangirl?"

"Becca, back me up here," Caitlin pleaded. "You watched the series with me, you liked it, right? And the movie, you said it was awesome and all?"

Rebecca nodded slowly, her nose still buried in her book. "Yes, they were quite good."

"Thank you!" her sister proclaimed triumphantly.

"However, I believe the _Harry Potter_ movies to be superior," Rebecca amended.

Caitlin leapt to her feet, leveling a trembling finger at the small redheaded girl sitting at the end of the couch. "Traitorous harlot!" she declared dramatically.

With slow, careful motions, Rebecca placed a worn Air Force bookmark to mark her place and closed the book, gently placing it to the side as she brought her impassive gaze up to the petite brunette.

"Now… Now, Becca, I didn't mean it like… Okay, yeah I can see the qualities of _Harry Potter_ and all… Becca, don't… No, no, Beccaaaa!"

With a wail of terror, the brunette sprinted out of the room, her sister on her heels in a flash.

The other teenagers erupted in laughter, which only increased as the shrieks sounded from elsewhere in the mansion.

"I don't get why Cat is so scared of Becca, though," Peter chuckled.

"Well, the way I understand it," Kitty replied merrily, "Becca discovered a very important difference between the two of them, something Cat has that she doesn't."

"What's that?"

"A ticklish spot."


	4. Weakness pt 2

"Look, I've got fifty bucks, right here," Johnny pleaded at the lunch table.

"Do not insult me with monetary offers," Rebecca answered as she popped a grape into her mouth.

"What, then? A favor? I could do your chores for a month, clean your room, do your laundry…"

"No."

Blink giggled. "You're gonna have to do better than that."

Rogue leaned across from where she sat next to Bobby. "Ah might be able to get my hands on a lil' extra dessert for the next month."

"That is tempting, but no."

"I got it!" Johnny declared. "Signed edition of a _Harry Potter_ book!"

Rebecca perked up interestedly. "You possess one?"

"Well, no, but there's always eBay…"

"Then, no."

Just then Caitlin arrived with her food tray of ham steaks and mashed potatoes. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late, class ran over… Never shoulda taken Logan up on filling in for him, his classes are nuts, I like the little kids better…"

As she sat, she glanced around bemusedly. Everyone was avoiding her gaze somewhat guiltily.

"What?" she asked flatly.

"They are attempting bribery," Rebecca answered from across the table, popping another grape into her mouth.

"For what?"

"Your ticklish spot."

"Really, guys?" She glared around at her friends. "Really?"

"See, y'all went about this the wrong way," Rogue explained softly. "Should have gotten Cat here to reveal what Becca really wants, before she found out what it was for."

"Becca would never betray me like that," Caitlin declared confidently. "Um, you wouldn't, would you?"

"That depends, Caitlin."

"Um, okay, depends on…?"

"What you will give me for my silence."

Johnny thrust a fork into the air triumphantly. "Let the bidding begin!"


	5. Folklore

"So, I know this is kind of an odd question…" Jessica Jones was sipping from her large black coffee while sitting on a bench inside Central Park in New York City. She enjoyed this weather, crisp and biting as the hint of winter tickled her nose with the promise of snow to come.

"Yes?" Caitlin replied slowly. She and her sister Rebecca were lounging on the bench next to her, wearing considerably less clothing that was appropriate for the temperature. I mean, seriously, who wears sandals at forty degrees? These two kids, that's who.

"But it's been bugging me for while now," Jessica continued. "Now, I don't want to sound, I dunno, prying…"

"Jess, you are one of the bluntest people I know," the diminutive brunette interjected after taking a long pull from her hot chocolate. "Out with it already."

"Okay…" Jessica cleared her throat and glanced at the pair sideways. She supposed she had been this small girl's friend the longest, as she had been the first to really bond with her when she was released from custody after her crazy escape from a lab and subsequent hectic path through the city. And yet there was still so much about her that she didn't know.

"By the way, how do you like the hot chocolate?" she asked.

"I greatly enjoy the taste, thank you," Rebecca replied politely. The small redheaded girl, almost a carbon copy of her sister except for the hair and a smattering of freckles across her face, was a bit of an odd one. She always spoke with proper grammar and without conjectures, rarely displayed emotion, at least as far as Jessica could tell, and seemed to be even more at a loss as to much of life than Caitlin was a few years ago. Had it really been that long?

"Mine's awesome," Caitlin smirked. "And you're still avoiding the topic you started."

"Right! Yeah, so… Okay. So you can transform into a panther."

"Yep, fur and everything."

"So… would you call yourself a were-panther?"

Rebecca snorted and spit her mouthful of hot chocolate out and onto the path in front of them. "Eww," she complained. "That came out of my nose."

Caitlin was laughing so hard she was wheezing from the effort. "Oh, God… that was too funny…"

Rebecca gave her a level look, which caused the petite brunette to quickly sober. "I mean, uh… Yeah, that looked painful, I'm sorry, would you like a napkin?" The brunette gave her sister a sheepish smile. "Please don't make me wear the rest of your hot chocolate," she asked meekly.

"I do require a napkin, thank you," Rebecca replied demurely. Caitlin promptly dug through the pockets of her jean jacket to pull out a handful and offer them over. The redheaded girl used a few to wipe her face and then stuffed the rest back into her own short black leather jacket. Jessica had admired it since she saw her in it, the leather looked to be buttery-smooth and soft, but she'd freeze within a minute if she were to wear it.

"Now, then," Rebecca stated calmly. "I do not think you could compare what Caitlin does with a lycanthrope. Firstly, she does not need to transform based on the phase of the moon." She paused and cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "You do not, do you?"

"Nope, I turn furry whenever I want," Caitlin replied with an easy grin, content to let her sister answer the question for her.

"Very well. Secondly, then, she is unable to transmit her transformative abilities by any means, whether through bite or scratch."

"Why Becca, I didn't know you were such an expert on furries," Caitlin snarked.

"Hush. I am not finished. Lastly, she did not receive her transformative powers through transmission of any type, but through a laboratory. Is my reasoning sound?"

"Sounds sound to me," the brunette joked.

"Well, alright then," Jessica murmured over her coffee. "I was just curious."

"No worries," Caitlin laughed. "Though I do wonder if weres are real. I mean, I heard vampires are, so why not werewolves and the like? We should investigate this."

"No, Caitlin, we should not."

"But Becca, there could be my people out there!"

"We have already established you are not a lycanthrope. Thus they are not your people."

"Not even a little curious?"

Rebecca paused thoughtfully. "Perhaps."

"Really?"

"But only if they resemble Jacob."

"Wait… you mean, like from the sparkly vampire stories?"

Jessica laughed softly to herself as she listed to the two siblings banter back and forth. It warmed her even more than the coffee on this cold day to hear them interact. If anyone deserved a family like they had, it was these two girls.

"I enjoyed the stories."

"You… Seriously? They sparkle!"

"I did not say I was impressed with the vampires. I preferred the werewolves."

"So, Team Jacob, then?"

"Yes. Most definitely."

"Mmhmm," Caitlin grinned. "And that had nothing to do with watching what's-his-name, Taylor Lautner, walk around without a shirt in the movies?"

Rebecca blushed lightly as she buried her face into her cup of hot chocolate. "I did not say I watched the movies."

"Oh, yeah, your face says you did."

"I admit to nothing."

"Oh, Becca, your face could heat up an apartment building for the winter."

"I am finished with this conversation."

"What, you think you can get out of it that easily? No, no way, not after the ribbing you gave me over Summer Glau."

Rebecca was silent and refused to look at her sister, who was only getting more and more amused.

"Are you pouting?" Caitlin giggled.

"No. I am being quietly petulant."

"Yeah, that means pouting."

"It does not."

Jessica by this point was shaking with laughter. "Oh, I so need to hang out with you guys more," she snickered, wiping away the tears of mirth. "You're better than a night at the improv, seriously…"


	6. Stories

"That is so weird…" Caitlin muttered over Kitty's shoulder.

"I know, right?" the other brunette replied as she browsed on her laptop. "Look at this one!"

"Wow, okay that's not anything I'd have ever imagined."

"But now you can't get it out of your head."

"Dammit. Yes. And now I have to read it."

Rebecca put her book down with an irritated huff. "What are the two of you discussing?" she asked querulously.

"This site here…" Caitlin murmured distractedly. "It's… Okay, so it's a bunch of people who write stories, right? Only, they're based on superheroes and the like."

"They are fictional representations?" Rebecca got up from her perch on the bed, suddenly interested.

"Yeah, but the biggest category is pairings," Kitty snickered. "It's huge, thousands of stories."

"Thousands?"

"Here, take a look," Caitlin offered, scooting over so that Rebecca could lean in over Kitty's other shoulder.

Rebecca's eyebrows furrowed as she read some of the titles and summaries listed on the page. "Captain America and Wolverine?" she murmured, confused. "Spider-Man and the Hulk? I do not understand…"

"They're pairings," Kitty explained gently. "As in, couples? Stories about, um, hook-ups…?"

Rebecca still looked at the screen blankly. Caitlin giggled slightly. "Becca, they're sex stories."

"Oh," the redheaded girl said, and then her eyes widened. "Oh! I see. So… this one is about Iron Man and War Machine having… sex?"

"Yep, pretty much. Oooh, check this one out, Wanda and Natasha and Jean Grey. I might have to read that…" Caitlin chuckled lightly. "Oh, um…"

"Does that one say, Falcon and Hulk?" Rebecca asked quietly.

"Yeah, Becca. Yeah, it does."

The petite redhead blinked her eyes, turned, and walked back over to her book again. "I am no longer interested in continuing this exploration," she declared firmly.

"I don't even get how that would work, anyway," Kitty mused. "I mean, Hulk is… well, you know…"

"Big?"

"Yeah."

"And now _you_ can't stop thinking about it."

"Oh, hush," Kitty giggled.

"Do you think you're in there?" Caitlin asked with a grin.

"Me?" Kitty squeaked. "What? No, I couldn't possibly…"

"There's a search box."

"No. I'm not looking."

"Kitty…"

"No."

"You know you wanna."

"No, I really don't."

"I'm gonna look when I get back to my room, so you might as well look now."

"Kitty, you may as well humor her," Rebecca commented, her nose once again buried in her book. "She will not leave it alone otherwise."

"See?" Caitlin chuckled.

"Oh, fine…" Kitty tapped a few keys. "There, nothing."

"You used your given name. Try Shadowcat."

"Okay, and then we're done… Oh. Oh, my."

"Wow, so someone actually wrote a Shadowcat and Colossus pairing?"

"Yes. Yes, they did."

"Are you blushing, Kitty?"

"No. And shut up."

"Are you going to look?"

"I'm… Fine. Just a peek."

The pair of girls were silent for a span of a few minutes, long enough to make Rebecca look up in concern. Both Caitlin and Kitty were staring at the laptop screen with their mouths slightly agape.

The redhead rolled her eyes and got to her feet once more. "That cannot possibly be as enrapturing… as…" Her eyes widened as she began to read over their shoulders. "Is that possible?"

"Technically? Yeah," Caitlin replied softly.

"How?"

"Well, Kitty would have to very, very flexible."

"I can be flexible," Kitty whispered.

The two sisters turned to regard the brightly blushing girl sitting between them.

"Do you need a moment, Kitty?" Caitlin snickered. "Perhaps we should give you some time alone?"

"I'm… No, no, it's quite alright." Her hand snaked out to hit a quick combination of keys. A small notification popped up in the corner of the screen to indicate the page had been bookmarked. "Ahem. Let's just go back to the main page again."

"Do you suppose Caitlin would be in there?" Rebecca mused.

Her sister looked at her askance. "Why would I be? Nobody knows me."

"But you have been active with both the Avengers and the X-Men. Surely some have heard of your exploits." Rebecca offered her a very small smirk.

"Becca, you're a devious girl," Kitty proclaimed. "Knew I liked you." She began to type in the search box. "Okay, bunch of results for Cat, but nothing that has you that I can see… wonder if we use Caitlin… Oh."

The three girls stared at the screen in perplexion.

"Why is my name on there?" Rebecca asked quietly.

"It's… It's…" Caitlin sputtered. "Really? They paired us? We're sisters, for God's sake!"

"I don't think that matters much to whoever wrote it," Kitty laughed.

"Caitlin, do you notice the author's name?" Rebecca asked, her eyes glittering dangerously.

"Pyro_is_da_man... Oh, he is dead," Caitlin declared with a growl. "Very, very dead. C'mon, Becca, we need to pay Johnny a visit…"

Kitty waved merrily as the pair stormed out of the room. "Don't kill him too badly!" she called out cheerfully. She turned back to the laptop again, her hand poised over the mouse.

"Should I…?" she pondered, regarding the Caitlin and Rebecca story. "Nah." A couple of mouse clicks brought her bookmarks up and she pulled the previous story up once more.

With a dreamy look in her eyes, she began to read again, a soft sigh falling from her lips as she squirmed slightly in her chair.


	7. Desires

Caitlin let out a soft sigh of contentment as she snuggled up in her girlfriend's arms. "Don't ever let me go," she murmured.

"I won't," Lisa promised quietly. "Though, there's room for more, y'know?"

"There's… Wait, what?" Caitlin looked up at her purple-haired lover in confusion. "What do you mean, more?"

"Well, like me," a soft voice purred from behind her shoulder. She felt a slender arm snake across her stomach to caress her gently.

She gave a slight start and peered back. "...Kitty? What the hell?"

The naked mutant gave a giggle. "Just joining the party, sweetie. And maybe one more?"

"One… Wait just a sec…"

"Oh, come on," Blink murmured as she crawled up and across Lisa, her pale skin glowing. Their colorful hair intermingled like a kaleidoscope. "You know you want this."

Caitlin was finding it very hard to breathe, feeling Kitty's hands roaming across her while Lisa and Blink gave each other tender kisses. "I… didn't know I wanted this."

"Oh, yeah," Blink murmured as she moved across to hover over her face, the purple tattoos around her eyes dancing in the dim light. "You do. And so do we."

Caitlin was panting in earnest now as she watched Blink lower her head slowly to her own. "But… I…"

Her words were cut off by the press of lips on her own, and she squirmed in pleasure with the attentions Kitty was giving her from behind and Lisa from in front.

"Caitlin. You must wake up."

The discordant words got her to shoot upright in her bed, soaked in sweat and other body fluids, struggling to control her frantic breathing.

"You were having an erotic dream," Rebecca sighed somewhat irritably, her back still towards her. "It was very loud."

"I'm… sorry, Becca."

"It is alright. Please try to sleep more quietly."

"Yeah. Okay, I'll try."

She settled back down after her body had cooled off again and draped her arm around her sister. Thoughts of her very strange, yet indeed highly erotic, dream kept running through her head.

"That's it," she muttered to herself tiredly. "That's the last time I read anything from that site again."


	8. Double Date

The restaurant was fairly nondescript, a little family eatery in upstate New York that was tucked out of the way but served up homestyle food. Sam Wilson liked to go there, it reminded him of eating at his Grandma's. He thought it would be a nice, neutral setting for… What exactly did he call this?

"Are we on a date?" Rebecca asked quietly as if she could read his thoughts.

"Um, I dunno. Yes?" Sam looked over at the small redhead intently to gauge her reaction, which was tough to do at the best of times. "Maybe? Would you like it to be?"

Rebecca gave him a soft smile, one he realized she only ever showed to him. "I would like that, yes."

"Alright then, a date," Sam smiled. "Technically, I suppose, a double-date."

"We're not here with you," Caitlin called from across the restaurant from where she sat with Wanda, the two of them perusing their menus thoughtfully. "We just happen to be in the same place at the same time."

Sam snorted softly. "Yeah, that's just semantics."

"I agree," Rebecca murmured. "However, they are attempting to give us our privacy and yet still obviate the discomfort of being alone on a… on a date."

"Well, I'll try to work on that obviation," Sam joked as he picked his menu up. "You want my recommendation?"

"I would like to hear your opinion, yes please."

"The veggie bake is really good, they do the broccoli in this balsamic vinaigrette sauce that's awesome."

"That sounds very enjoyable. Very well, I shall order that. What will you have?"

"I like the tuna casserole. Sound common, but it melts in my mouth."

The waitress came and took their orders, leaving behind a pair of sweetened iced teas that they had requested previously. Rebecca looked around the room as Sam took a sip of his drink.

"This is a very nice place."

"Yeah, reminds me of home."

"It does?"

"Mmhmm. Used to live with my Grandma and Pa for awhile, least until I left for the service."

"That sounds nice."

The couple looked around the room, both desperately trying to find an acceptable topic of conversation.

"They make an odd pair," Sam mused, glancing over at Caitlin and Wanda who were seemingly conversing animatedly.

"They are not a couple."

"Oh, no, I didn't mean… I just meant, like, as friends. I didn't figure on the two of them ever talking civilly. With their history and all, y'know?"

Rebecca nodded solemnly. "Yes, I understand. It was difficult for Caitlin to... what is the phrase… break down their…"

"Walls?" Sam interjected.

"Yes, I suppose that works. In any case, once they did and began to converse, they realized they had much more in common than they realized."

"Huh," Sam commented. "Like what?"

"They both despise Tony Stark."

"Yeah, well, he can be a difficult guy to tolerate," Sam snorted softly in agreement.

"Also, they have both lost someone close to them. They have both experienced betrayal, and have taken actions they regret. They are, in fact, very good for each other."

The food arrived then, and they spent the next few minutes eating quietly.

"You were correct," Rebecca murmured after a while. "This is quite delicious."

"Glad you like it. Did you wanna try mine?"

Rebecca nodded, and Sam took a forkful of his casserole and offered it across the table to her. Rebecca blinked uncertainly, but leaned in to take the bite and chewed it thoughtfully.

"The taste is not objectionable," she stated, but then began to blush furiously.

"What?" Sam asked, concerned.

"I did not realize that was a somewhat intimate act, you offering food to me like that," the redhead whispered. "Caitlin noticed."

Sam shot a glare across the room but the brunette in question had her head down to study her plate and was actively avoiding looking his way.

Rebecca reached across to lay a slender hand on his arm. "It is alright, Sam. She already apologized."

Sam chuckled ruefully. "It's hard to get used to, the two of you being able to hear each other across a crowded room without raising your voice."

"But it can be fortuitous at times," Rebecca commented, returning to her meal once more. "We coordinate well together."

"Yeah, you do," Sam grinned. "I remember that one training ex you two did with Steve and Romanov, the two of you moved like a single unit. It was pretty damn impressive."

Rebecca blinked at him, her fork halfway to her mouth. "Am I? Impressive?"

"Yeah, you are," he replied softly. "You impress the hell outta me. Little scary, actually."

"Oh," Rebecca said, a blank look on her face, as she finished taking the bite and sat her fork down, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. "Yes, Caitlin, I know that was a compliment," she muttered. "If you will not keep your nose to yourself I will begin telling Sam about things you do not wish for him to hear."

"Oh, now it's gettin' interesting," Sam chortled. "What kinda things?"

Rebecca glanced over at the other table and Sam did the same. While Wanda was giggling merrily, Caitlin was shooting daggers with her glare.

"She has a ticklish spot," Rebecca whispered, her words dancing with a humor rarely displayed.

"Hmm," Sam said thoughtfully, unable to keep the grin off of his face. "Now that's pretty highly classified intel."

"Oh, it is. And I am the only one who knows of it."

"Well, then, pretty valuable too."

"Yes. Highly sought after."

"Now, what could I possibly offer to woo that highly sensitive secret from you?"

Rebecca blushed brightly and looked down at her plate. "I… That is… Um," she stammered softly.

"Oh! I didn't mean…" Sam cleared his throat, realizing that he was blushing furiously as well. "Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Is it alright, Sam. If it helps, we have sufficiently amused Caitlin that she no longer desires violence upon our persons."

"Well, that's something, at least."

Rebecca nodded. "Sam?"

"Yeah, Becca?"

"This was a wonderful date."

"It was?"

"Most definitely."

"Well, alright then. I had a good time, too."

"Perhaps the next time, we might see a movie?"

Sam grinned at her. "Already planning our second date, huh?"

"I am. Do you object to this course of action?"

"Not at all. And I think a movie would be nice."

"But we will not bring Caitlin the next time."

"No, maybe we could risk going solo," Sam said with mock seriousness.

Rebecca nodded solemnly. "We will have to endure her pouting on the car ride back tonight, however."

"Long as we're together, won't bother me a bit."


	9. Identity

"I am curious about something," Vision stated quietly.

Caitlin looked up from where she sat on the bleachers, watching Rebecca and Natasha spar. The two redheads were fairly evenly matched. Even with her younger sister's enhanced agility and higher reflexes, the older woman definitely had the edge in experience, as Caitlin well knew from her own sparring sessions.

"Okay. Um, would you like to sit?" the small brunette asked hesitantly. She hadn't really had much interaction with Vision outside of a group and was unsure of how to do so individually.

"Thank you," he said politely as he sat. Caitlin noted that as he did so, his cape seemed to shrink down so that he wasn't sitting on top of it.

"Neat trick," she grinned slightly.

"My cape? Yes, it responds to my commands. A part of me, if you will."

"Huh. So, um, what were you curious about?"

"You had a conversation earlier with Miss Maximoff. I apologize if this was not a subject that you wished to disseminate further…"

"No, it's alright," Caitlin interjected with a smile. "I don't mind if it's what I think it is."

"Yes, well." Vision actually looked slightly uncomfortable, if that were possible with an android. "You mentioned that you did not believe you were human, as you were not created with a soul, but required one to 'power' you, in your words."

"That's the gist of it, yeah."

"Yet your sister Rebecca has no such presence inside her head."

"Not anymore, no, but she needed one to be activated. Before we had that soul inserted, we were just empty shells with memories, laying there, I dunno… dormant."

"So do you believe you were alive at that point, even though your body surely had respiration and functions?"

Caitlin let out a sigh. "No, I don't consider that alive. Functioning, sure, but without a consciousness? Not alive, and definitely not human."

"I see."

The brunette smiled as she watched Rebecca adroitly spin away from a combo attack from Natasha. "She's getting better," she murmured.

"Would not the capability to learn indicate humanness?"

Caitlin looked at Vision out of the corner of her eye. "Look, I think I know where you're coming from. We're different, you and I, for all our similarities. Opposite problem, in fact."

"Really?" He said it with such dignified aplomb that only the British managed to attain, that Caitlin had to chuckle. The influence of Jarvis was clear.

"Yeah, really. Okay, so I think we can both be considered constructs, right?"

"Yes, that seems logical."

"Now, the primary difference is that I was grown from human tissue, while you were grown from, what, Vibranium?"

"That is the prominent composition of my body, yes, along with cellular tissue."

"And then you had an AI consciousness imprinted, Jarvis."

"This is correct."

"Now, I had an imprint as well, just a default personality. I knew coming out that my name was Caitlin, but I didn't really know how to do much. I was an infiltration model but lacked any societal norms or languages or anything like that yet. Didn't get programmed since I woke early."

"I am following you so far."

"Okay, so, if you didn't have Jarvis, would you still function?"

Vision stared unblinkingly off into the distance. "Yes, I believe so, though I would have significantly less functionality."

Caitlin nodded in agreement. "But still, you don't need Jarvis to live, whereas I needed at least Chris to do so. And when I lost him, along with my other residents, my mind… well, it broke."

"So you not only needed him to function but to exist," Vision mused. "How do you explain your sister?"

Caitlin sighed as she leaned back on her elbows. "Somehow we formed a bond. I serve that purpose for her now."

"That is… impressive."

"I dunno if that's the word I'd use. But I don't mind at all, don't get me wrong. Rebecca is one of the best things that has ever happened to me." Caitlin let out an irritated huff. "I'm getting off track, though. So, you don't need Jarvis, he's not your soul. I think that," she stated, pointing at his forehead, "right up there, is your soul. You didn't work at all, so to speak, until it was put in you, you likely wouldn't work without it, and it, well, powers you."

Vision was silent for almost a full minute before he spoke again after digesting her words. "So, then, I am most certainly not human, but simply an automation?"

"No, you're missing the point," Caitlin sighed, sitting back up again. "I look human, but I'm not, because I require another person's soul to work, and I was an empty shell until I received it. You don't look as human, as least not without effort, but you have a physical soul all your own." She gave him a sad sort of smile. "What I'm trying to say is, I think you have a greater capacity, a better chance of becoming human than I ever could. Because at my core, I'm lacking what you have, right there."

Vision nodded slowly as he gazed off into the distance. He stood up abruptly. "I think… I will need some time to process this," he said quietly. "Thank you very much for the conversation, Caitlin Brown."

"You are most welcome, Vision," she replied with an easy grin. "Anytime you wanna theorize or whatever, lemme know."

He started to walk down the steps, but paused and turned slightly to regard her. "You are far wiser than you let on," he stated quietly. "And I think, perhaps, you might be… selling yourself short."

Caitlin shrugged. "Either way, I'm not worried. I've accepted who and what I am, and I know both my limitations and what I need to work on, what still needs fixed. It's enough."

"Indeed," he murmured. "A most remarkable woman." With that, he strode off back towards the facility.

"Caitlin?" Rebecca called out.

"Yeah?" the brunette replied distractedly as she stared after Vision.

"Are you well? I sensed your distress." Her sister sat down on the bleacher next to her and looked over with a concerned frown.

"Nah, I'm fine, Becca. Just… talking about existential stuff."

"I see. And… are you well?" she asked again.

"'Course I am," Caitlin grinned towards her then, bumping her sister with her shoulder. "I got you, don't I?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here's my try at a Vision voice! Figured a small vignette would be the best place to give it a shot. How'd it sound?


	10. Bacon

Caitlin was perusing her phone while walking alongside her sister Rebecca towards the cafeteria at the Avenger's Training Facility. She'd gotten a little better about figuring out how to operate her phone, but it still amused the redhead to see her normally adroit sister struggle so much with technology.

The brunette suddenly stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide as she read something on the small device. Rebecca stopped as well, regarding her with concern.

"What is the matter, Caitlin?"

"It's… It's… Becca, it's an email from Kitty, she sent me an article on…" Caitlin gave a shudder and closed her eyes. "God, it's too awful…"

"Caitlin, what?" The redheaded girl stepped in closer, her concern rising, and laid a reassuring hand on the other girl's arm. "I am here for you. What is wrong?"

"It's about bacon," Caitlin wailed, opening her eyes to reveal the despondency within. "It says that bacon is bad for me, it could cause cancer!"

Rebecca dropped her hand and let out a small but slightly irritated sigh. "Caitlin."

"What?"

"Did you not say that our bodies are highly resistant to diseases and poisons?"

"Um, yeah, that's what Dr. Banner told me…"

"Would that not include cancer?"

"Oh… Oh! Yeah, it would! So I can keep eating bacon?"

"Yes, Caitlin, yes you may."

They resumed their walk towards the cafeteria again, though now the diminutive brunette was bouncing along and singing softly. "Bacon bacon ba-con, bacon bacon ba-con…"

Rebecca allowed a soft smile to form on her face. Yes, her sister could oftentimes be mercurial, erratic, and frequently silly.

But it only made her love her all the more.


	11. Blues

"Never again," Caitlin sighed tiredly.

The fires were out and, for the most part, cleaned up. Interdimensional demons were back in their pocket dimension, or wherever it was they had come from. The security systems were still offline, but that wasn't their problem to deal with.

The Baxter building was blessedly quiet once more, and the children tucked into bed.

Rebecca wearily rolled her head to the side to regard her sister, sitting on the sofa alongside her as they waited for Reed and Susan's return from their gala.

"Caitlin?"

"Yeah, Becca?"

"You mentioned previously that we were not biologically capable of producing children, is that correct?"

"That's right, we're infertile. Don't even have the parts for it, internally."

"I am very relieved to hear this."

"Yep, you and me both."


	12. Fury

Caitlin and Rebecca Brown stood attentively in the sparsely furnished office. They tried very hard to avoid the scowling gaze of the tall and imposing man who was pacing behind his desk, but it was rather difficult to do so. Both had agreed privately that sometimes that eyepatch had a presence all of its own.

"I consider myself to be a reasonable man," Fury began, his sonorous voice deceptively mild. "Overlooked the little prank on War Machine, fact is I thought the whole 'Grumpyman' thing was pretty damn funny."

"Thank you, sir," Caitlin smirked.

Fury rounded the desk and stopped in front of the small brunette, leveling his intimidating gaze upon her. "Did I say you could talk yet, Brown?" he growled dangerously.

"No, sir," she gulped.

He resumed his pacing, but this time roamed the circumference of the room. "Then there was the food fight with Barton. I don't even want to know how you roped Wilson and Romanov into participating. Made a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility look like a high school, but fine, letting off a little steam can be a good thing."

Rebecca firmly clamped down on the urge to smile at the memory. It was the first time she'd ever outright laughed, thoroughly embracing the ridiculousness of the moment as she flung handfuls of mashed potatoes at Sam and dodged incoming hamburger casserole.

"And your little escape from the helicarrier? I had to do quite the tap dance to cover the pair of your asses on that, but I did it. Even got all the charges dropped eventually. See what a reasonable man I am?"

Fury had stopped again in front of Caitlin, who looked up at him fearfully. "Should I answer that, sir?" she squeaked.

"No, Brown, I'm being rhetorical," he replied grimly as he resumed his movements. "Now then, when you asked to be allowed back to the facility on occasion, I figured why not, you were decent kids, added value to the team even if you weren't members."

He stopped behind the two petite girls, looming over their shoulders. "But this latest stunt?" he whispered. "It crossed the line."

Caitlin opened her mouth again, which caused Rebecca to involuntarily wince. "Sir, I-"

"Brown?"

"Sir?"

"Shut. Up."

"Yessir."

Fury walked back around to his desk, pulling an object out of his drawer and flinging it down on the surface. It was an eyepatch, identical to the one he was now wearing except for the simple fact that it had been altered. Instead of a smooth black leather surface, there was now painted a rather angry-looking eye.

"Did you really think that was the only eyepatch I owned?" he asked Caitlin.

The brunette kept her mouth closed for a change, much to Rebecca's relief.

"Now then, I do not want to hear of any more pranks, no more shenanigans. Am I clear?"

Both of the girls nodded quickly.

"Dismissed."

Rebecca barely beat her sister to the door, yanking it open in her relief, with Caitlin right on her heels.

"Well," Caitlin commented quietly. "That went well."

"About as expected, yes," Rebecca replied.

"I still think you did a great painting job. Very talented."

"Why thank you, Caitlin."

"When do you think he'll notice the hack that Kitty put into the system?"

"I believe when he goes to check his email. Likely as soon as we left his office."

"Hmm. We should go pack now and head out, then."

"Yes, we should."

They were just leaving the outer gates of the grounds when Caitlin's phone rang. Much to her relief, it was Barton and not Fury.

"Hey, Clint!" she answered the phone cheerfully, holding it away from her ear so that Rebecca might hear. There was no need to put it on speaker with their enhanced hearing.

"Cat," her friend said, laughter lacing his words. "Do you have any idea why Fury's browser is only showing things in pirate-speak?"

"Um, I dunno Clint," she grinned. "Is it Talk Like A Pirate Day already?"

"No, Cat, it isn't," he chuckled.

"Well, you know me, Clint, I'm horrible with computers, wouldn't even know how to do that."

"Uh-huh. And what about your sister?"

"Nah, that's pretty advanced even for Becca."

"Right. You know Fury ain't gonna buy that, especially after the chewing out he just gave you?"

"That's why we're on the road already, Clint. See ya in another month or so!"

"Right, Cat, try and keep out of trouble."

"Hey, it's me!"

She ended the call with a grin and slipped the phone back inside her pocket.

"How long do you think it will take Fury to cool off?" the brunette giggled.

"I imagine quite some time," her redheaded sister replied with a small grin.

Caitlin nodded thoughtfully. "Better make it two months, then."

"Agreeable."

They continued down the country road, enjoying the cool Spring air.

"Teach him to come back from the dead and not tell me," Caitlin snickered to herself.


	13. Relationships

"Hey babe, whatcha up to?" Lisa asked cheerfully over the phone.

"Oh, you know, keepin' busy," Caitlin replied with a smile. Rebecca had gotten her a Bluetooth earpiece which allowed her to use both of her hands while talking. It was, in her opinion, the pinnacle of humankind's inventiveness.

"Yeah? I've been thinking about you."

"Oh, have you?" Caitlin dodged the blow from the henchman and delivered a kick to his chest, likely breaking a few ribs before he was sent flying. "And just what have you been thinking about?"

"You know… things," she purred. "The kinda things you do to me and I do to you…"

"Mmhmm," the brunette murmured, jumping up onto a catwalk and racing along its length. She grabbed hold of another man as he entered from a side door and unceremoniously flung him over the side. His brief wail was cut off with a sickening crunch. "Do tell."

"Cat… What are you doing right now?"

"Toldya, keepin' busy." She grunted slightly as she was unexpectedly slammed into by the next man out the door. She brought her knee up into his stomach and her fists down on the back of his neck, breaking it. "Actually running a mission right now."

"Oh my God, I'm sorry, I'll go…"

"No, don't! It's our time to talk!" Caitlin flung herself through the door in a roll, narrowly avoiding a swung baseball bat. She rammed her fist upwards, breaking the arm of the bat-wielder, and then as she rose her elbow slammed into his chin. His teeth crashed together and he toppled backwards. "You know how much I like to hear you talk!"

"But we talk every night! We can skip one, I don't want to distract you…"

"Please, Lisa, there's no way any distracting will cause me problems with these losers," Caitlin scoffed confidently. She heard the metallic sound of a gun being cocked and whirled to spy a man standing across the room, a leer on his face. Before he could fire, there was a loud crash as Rebecca dropped through the skylight and slammed into him. "'Sides, Becca has my back."

Her sister rose from the crumpled and broken remains of the would-be gunner and placed her hands on her hips. "You should not be so presumptive."

"Oh, like you weren't sexting Sam on the last run we did," Caitlin laughed.

"I do not… I do not 'sext'," Rebecca protested loftily.

"Mmmhmm," the brunette grinned as she strode forward to the next door. "So, Lisa, did you get your grade back on your Anthro exam?"

"Yeah, I did! A high B!"

"Sweetie, that's awesome!" Caitlin cheered. She nodded to her sister before kicking the door in. She rolled to the right as Rebecca went left. They crouched in place, but the room was empty.

"You called me 'sweetie'," Lisa sighed happily.

"Um, yeah, I did…"

"Well, it's just that you hardly ever use, y'know, pet names or anything."

"Yeah, I'm trying to do better with that…"

"Honey, you don't have to try with me," Lisa said softly. "I love you just the way you are."

Caitlin stood in the room, looking around at the multiple doors and wondering which one to try first. "Aww, I love you too," she murmured.

Just then every door opened and burly men began to fill the room. The sisters stood back to back as a ring of perhaps twenty men surrounded them, all armed with pistols or various melee weapons such as bats, pipes, or machetes.

"Hey, Lisa?" Caitlin whispered. "I gotta go now. Can I call you back in ten?"

More men began to fill the room, doubling the number of assailants.

"Actually, make that fifteen…"


	14. Texting pt 1

_Monday_

**Stark** : Hey, Junior Scout! Didn't know you had one of my phones!  
 **Cat** : …  
 **Cat** : what do you want, stark  
 **Stark** : Aw, don't be like that, Kitten! I miss your cheerful face!  
 **Stark** : :-D  
 **Cat** : that's nice  
 **Stark** : Seriously, though, what's this I hear about you having a sister?  
 **Cat** : yeah her name's rebecca  
 **Stark** : Is she hot?  
 **Cat** : …  
 **Cat** : …  
 **Cat** : you come near my sister and i will hurt you  
 **Stark** : Hey, I'm just joking! I kid!  
 **Cat** : fine  
 **Stark** : But really, is she?  
 **Cat** : i'm telling pepper

_Tuesday_

**Stark** : Hey hey kiddo, so I hear you and Miss Pryde are best buds, yeah?  
 **Cat** : why are you still texting me  
 **Stark** : It's just a simple question!  
 **Cat** : fine, yes kitty and i are good friends  
 **Stark** : Does she ever like misuse her power?  
 **Stark** : I mean, if I could walk through walls, I'd be up to all sorts of no good  
 **Stark** : Like, snoop around everywhere  
 **Stark** : Ladies locker room  
 **Stark** : That kinda thing  
 **Stark** : You know?  
 **Stark** : Junior Scout, you there?  
 **Cat** : why must you talk to me

_Wednesday_

**Stark** : Hey Kitten, you there?  
 **Cat** : unfortunately yes  
 **Stark** : Okay if I call you Kitten?  
 **Cat** : i actually don't mind that as much as junior scout  
 **Cat** : what the hell, sure  
 **Stark** : Woohoo! We made a breakthrough, you and me!  
 **Stark** : On our way to friendship!  
 **Cat** : why must you torment me so

_Thursday_

**Cat** : stark what did you do  
 **Stark** : What's up Kitten?  
 **Cat** : my phone, stark, what did you do  
 **Stark** : Oh!  
 **Stark** : I pushed out a new update  
 **Stark** : Especially for you  
 **Stark** : ;-)  
 **Cat** : stark there are kittens all over my phone  
 **Stark** : That's because you're Kitten!  
 **Cat** : stark my ringtone is now cat meows, make it stop  
 **Stark** : Aw don't be like that Kitten, everybody got that update!  
 **Cat** : becca's doesn't look like that  
 **Stark** : Really, what's your sister's number?  
 **Cat** : no stark, you leave her alone, just fix my damn phone  
 **Cat** : put it back  
 **Stark** : You're sucking the fun right outta life here, Kitten  
 **Cat** : don't you have a company or something to run?  
 **Stark** : Sure, but you're much more entertaining!  
 **Cat** : i hate you so much right now

_Friday_

**Stark** : Hey hey hey Kitten!  
 **Stark** : Guess what I heard?  
 **Stark** : Come on, guess?  
 **Cat** : god fine, i dunno  
 **Cat** : your stock prices went up again?  
 **Stark** : Well, yes, but even better, this is about you!  
 **Cat** : …  
 **Cat** : what already?  
 **Stark** : I heard you were a lesbian! Is that true?  
 **Cat** : yes stark i have a girlfriend  
 **Cat** : pepper even flew me out for a booty call once  
 **Cat** : happy?  
 **Stark** : That is so hot.  
 **Cat** : i swear to god i will change my number


	15. Texting pt 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am having entirely too much fun with these...

**Stark:** Hey Pepper Pep Pep you there?  
 **Pepper:** Tony I'm in a meeting  
 **Stark:** I'll make it quick, honest  
 **Stark:** Really important question, it's been bugging me  
 **Pepper:** What Tony, make it quick  
 **Stark:** Did Adam and Eve have navels?  
 **Pepper:** …  
 **Pepper:** Are you drinking again?

 **Pyro:** Kitty, can I ask you something?  
 **Kitty:** Yeah, Johnny, what?  
 **Pyro:** Why is it girls always go into a bathroom together?  
 **Pyro:** I mean, is there a party or something going on?  
 **Pyro:** Free mints?  
 **Pyro:** Seriously  
 **Kitty:** You really wanna know?  
 **Pyro:** Yeah, really  
 **Kitty:** Cause Hermione went alone and got attacked by a troll  
 **Pyro:** …  
 **Pyro:** You've been talking to Becca again haven't you

 **Becca:** Caitlin I have determined something  
 **Cat:** becca i'm like right down the hall in kitty's room  
 **Becca:** Yes I know but I must tell you this  
 **Cat:** yeah go ahead what's up?  
 **Becca:** You can transform into a feline  
 **Cat:** that's one of my forms, yeah  
 **Becca:** You are McGonagall!  
 **Cat:** …  
 **Cat:** while i'm very proud of your developing sense of humor  
 **Cat:** you just made me facepalm  
 **Becca:** What is this facepalm?  
 **Cat:** i'll explain when i get back to the room  
 **Becca:** Very well Minerva  
 **Cat:** stop  
 **Becca:** Being an animagus is very prestigious  
 **Cat:** please becca stop  
 **Becca:** Is your patronus also a feline?  
 **Cat:** i'm turning my phone off now

 **Hawk:** Hey kiddo  
 **Cat:** clint! what's up?  
 **Hawk:** Xmas is at my place, will you  & Becca be up here round then?  
 **Cat:** really? cool! yeah we can visit by then  
 **Hawk:** I got one request though  
 **Cat:** yeah, anything!  
 **Cat:** i'm so excited!  
 **Hawk:** So I promised Lila a kitty for Xmas  
 **Cat:** clint  
 **Hawk:** So I was wondering  
 **Cat:** i see where you're going don't you dare  
 **Hawk:** It's just for the day, until I can get one for her the day after  
 **Hawk:** Cat?  
 **Hawk:** Please?  
 **Hawk:** You wouldn't disappoint a little girl would you?  
 **Cat:** you suck  
 **Cat:** and you will so owe me big time  
 **Hawk:** That's my kitty-cat!  
 **Cat:** don't push it


	16. Con

"Becca!"

Rebecca shot upright from where she'd been curled up in a large armchair reading. "Caitlin? What is it?"

Caitlin rushed into the common room there at Xavier's school, an excited grin on her face.

"I have the perfect activity for us this weekend!" the brunette stated.

Rebecca sighed. "I thought we were going to take the weekend off from adventuring?"

"Well, yeah, but this is a different sort of adventure! One where we don't need to bust heads!"

"Very well, I am listening."

"This weekend… in New York City… is Comic Con!"

The redhead stared at her sister blankly. "I do not understand."

"It's… okay, so some people write these picture books, alright? And they depict the goings-on of superheroes, real or imagined, and a bunch of other stuff as well… Anyways, so this is a convention where they all get together, the artists and the fans and the merchants, and…"

"It sounds quite convoluted," Rebecca murmured.

"But it's not just comics! They have movies represented too! I mean, yeah some of the movies are based off of comics, but others off of books! Like, you know, _Harry Potter_ and _Twilight_!"

"I see," her sister commented slowly.

"But I haven't gotten to the best part yet!" Caitlin was bouncing up and down on her toes with glee. "The fans who go? They all dress up as their favorite characters!"

Rebecca blinked her eyes uncertainly. "And how is this fact the best part?"

"Oh, just think of it, seeing some of our friends being portrayed by normal folk? It'd be hilarious!"

"I do not think I would find it as amusing as you seem to."

"Would you seriously pass up on the potential for souvenirs? Like, Hawkeye statues or, I dunno, Captain America tee shirts? We could do all of our Christmas shopping in one weekend!" Caitlin crouched down next to the armchair, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Caitlin…"

"Okay, fine, you force me to bring out the big guns," the brunette stated as she rose to her feet. She stood with her legs splayed apart and her arms crossed over her chest. "We're gonna dress up as well."

"And how exactly does this convince me further?"

"Because... you're gonna be Ginny Weasley and I'm gonna be Hermione Granger."

Rebecca looked at her as an involuntary grin began to creep upon her face. "I am? You are?"

Caitlin nodded firmly. "We are. I found a shop downtown, sells costumes, they got the robes, we can make up wands…"

"Do they have scarves in the color of Gryffindor?" Rebecca asked, letting the grin slip further.

Her sister took hold of her hands and brought her to her feet to stand toe to toe. "They do. You in?"

The redhead gave an uncharacteristic giggle. "Yes, I am in."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea of actual superheroes going incognito to a Con makes me giggle hysterically.


	17. Books

"Caitlin?"

"Mmhmm?"

"What are you reading?"

The diminutive brunette blushed slightly and buried her nose in her book. "Nothing," she mumbled.

The two sisters had been sitting quietly in their room at the Xavier school, side by side on their bed. Most everybody else had gone to bed already, but as they required far less sleep than the average person, or mutant for that matter, they tended to just relax and unwind together. Sometimes Caitlin would be on their laptop or in the common room watching the television, but Rebecca would always be at her side, a book open in front of her.

Since Caitlin had acquired her current book, however, she'd been engrossed in it every chance she got.

"It does not seem like nothing," Rebecca commented mildly.

"Well, what are _you_ reading?"

The lithe redhead looked up from her reading material. "This is the third in a series about a modern-day wizard by the name of Harry Dresden. It is quite enjoyable."

"Oh, yeah? So, what's it about, just a guy who throws magic around?"

"Yes, but also a significant amount of deduction and adventure takes place. He is a private investigator, you see. It is quite exciting. I hope he becomes involved with the police officer, she seems nice."

"Um, okay…"

"And there are fifteen books in this series so far. I have quite a bit of material to keep me entertained."

"Well, cool. I'm happy for you, Becca."

"Thank you. I believe you would enjoy it as well. Would you like the first book?"

"Yeah, sure, I'll get to it next, then. Um, is it here or back upstate?"

"It is at the Avengers' facility, yes. I will retrieve it the next time we visit."

"Sounds good, thanks."

They were silent for perhaps another minute before Rebecca spoke up again, her eyes remaining on her book.

"Do you really believe you would be able to deflect my earlier question that easily?"

Caitlin sighed. "One could hope," she grumbled.

"I am merely curious. The cover of your book is quite provocative."

Blushing once more, Caitlin quickly covered the book with both hands on the outside while attempting to hide behind it again. "It's not…"

"Those were a pair of partially undressed women embracing. They looked to be engaged in a sensual act of some sort."

"Jesus, Becca," the brunette choked out. "Okay, yeah, fine, it's... " She sat the book down on her lap, her finger holding her place. "It's lesbian erotica," she finished lamely.

"I see. 'The Fling'. Is it entertaining?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah, it is."

"Very well, then. Why were you embarrassed?"

"It's just not…" Caitlin cleared her throat. "I have no idea, really."

"Do you believe I might enjoy it?"

"Um, well… here. Read this page."

She flipped the book back open to where she had been reading. Rebecca placed her worn Air Force bookmark in her own book and closed it, placing it beside her before accepting the paperback from her sister. As she read, her eyes got slightly wider with each sentence.

"Oh," she murmured. "I see."

She returned the book to Caitlin and pulled her own book back into her lap.

"Is much of the novel similar to that passage?"

Caitlin grinned slightly. "Some of it, yeah. Goes into the relationship a lot as well."

They sat next to each other quietly for a few heartbeats, Rebecca once again reading her book and Caitlin watching her, the grin spreading on her face.

"Sooo, Becca, you wanna borrow it when I'm done?"

Rebecca snuck a quick glance at her. "That would be acceptable, yes, please."

Snickering, Caitlin returned to her reading once more.


End file.
